N.W.T. MLAs to discuss separate collective agreement for nurses

An N.W.T. MLA has brought forward a proposed bill for public discussion that would allow nurses to have their own bargaining unit when negotiating a collective agreement.

Yellowknife North MLA Shauna Morgan introduced the private member's bill on Thursday.

N.W.T. nurses, along with the vast majority of unionized government employees, are represented by the Union of Northern Workers (UNW), which is set out by the Public Service Act.

Morgan said nurses have been asking for decades to have their own separate agreement that would take into account the specific challenges and needs of the health-care profession.

"It would allow for an opportunity to put conditions in a collective agreement that relate to workplace safety, that also relates to patient safety — for example, safe staff-to-patient ratios," Morgan said.

N.W.T. and Nunavut are the only jurisdictions in Canada without separate bargaining units for nurses. The closest thing to one in the territory is UNW Local 11, which represents government Stanton Hospital workers. 

"There's a local in Inuvik that includes gravel truck drivers and nurses, so there's no one union or group that is the voice or the one representing nurses in the territory," Morgan said.

Morgan addressed how nurses are not the only N.W.T. government employees with unique challenges and safety considerations.

In her proposal, she stated the way the Public Service Act is currently structured "makes it impossible for a non-Cabinet MLA to make comprehensive changes to the Act that would satisfy all groups of workers who may have good reasons for wanting their own separate collective agreements." 

The private member's bill is still in the early draft stages. 

Morgan said she has introduced it now so that the public can discuss it with their MLAs and have time to consider it. If there is public support, the bill will be brought forward during the May and June sitting for a first and second reading.

If the bill makes it to that stage, there would be formal public hearings and consultation with stakeholders about it.

In a statement, UNW president Gayla Thunstrom said they have not received or seen copies of the documents.

"As we have not had an opportunity to properly review all the information, we cannot provide comment at this time, other than confirm that at no point did MLA Morgan reach out to the union for information or consultation," wrote Thunstrom.

Morgan said in a text message that formal consultation can only begin once the bill passes second reading in the legislature. 

She said she has been taking the lead from nurses and informally consulting with UNW member nurses across different N.W.T. communities. 

Motion passed to strengthen support of health-care workers

Morgan also brought forward a motion — separate from the bill — on Thursday, to hold a comprehensive review of the challenges nurses and health-care workers face. 

It was unanimously passed by regular MLAs.

The decision follows discussions during 2024 over the territory's use of agency nurses, which have caused significant additional costs and repercussions for workers. The UNW Local 11 was outspoken at the time about senior management having inconsistent leadership, making misguided decisions and refusing "to work with union members to proactively implement obvious solutions to fixable problems." 

Morgan said she's continued to hear concerns from nurses over the use of agency nurses, the impacts of staffing shortages and worker safety. 

"We rarely put health-care workers themselves at the centre of the solution. We rarely give them a platform to have their voices heard," Morgan said.

The review will look at health-care management practices, bargaining structures, hiring retention and labour policies. 

"From the perspective of workers, to hear from them directly so our recommendations can better reflect the realities of front-line workers," Morgan said.

Management practices of the Northwest Territories health-care system are currently under a separate internal government review, following the appointment of a public administrator.

The current public administrator is Dan Florizone, whose role replaced the N.W.T. Health and Social Services Leadership Council in December last year.

The review discussed in the motion will focus on concerns raised by front-line workers and will be taken on by the Legislative Assembly and referred to the standing committee on social development for further analysis and study.

Thunstrom said that the UNW is glad to hear a comprehensive review will be taking place.  

"We look forward to engaging with members of the Assembly to convey the concerns, ideas, and feedback we've received from our members across the health-care system," wrote Thunstrom.

Solutions must account for nurses' unique role, association says

In a statement to CBC News, Megan Wood, the CEO of the College and Association of Nurses of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, said the regulatory body is encouraged by opportunities that the motion for review presents.

"We aim to ensure that nurses are supported in providing safe, high-quality care to residents across the territories," wrote Wood.

Wood added that by better understanding the contributing factors, practical solutions can be developed — solutions that could help address nurse shortages, which are a growing concern in the N.W.T. as well as Nunavut. 

"Data consistently shows that nurses nationwide are experiencing higher levels of burnout, and we see similar challenges in northern regions," Wood said.

As for bargaining and labour practices, Wood said the association cannot speak on specifics but that there needs to be an emphasis on solutions that recognize the unique needs of nurses. 

"There is no one-size-fits-all approach, given the varying contexts in which nurses work," Wood said.